My best parenting tip

When Paris was 2-years-old and “napping,” she took off her dirty diaper and smeared poop all over her crib. She thoroughly coated the bars, making sure to put the brown goop into every nook and cranny.

How did I react? Not well. I broke down the crib and threw it in the trash–a seemingly easy solution since I had a toddler bed purchased through Craigslist in the garage.

My worst parenting mistake was not cleaning the poop off the crib. That’s because Paris didn’t take well to her new bed. Basically, she didn’t stay in it. I’d put her down for nap and she was like a Jack-in-the-box–popping right back out. This persisted for months and my husband and I still struggle with keeping our daughter in her bed. Every night she comes out of her room without fail and asks a question such as “Mommy, is my black velvet dress in the washing machine?”

With our younger child, Dante, I knew to keep him in the crib as long as possible. At three and a half years old, we moved him into the toddler bed and he actually stayed in it while awake. What happened after he falls asleep is another story. The poor little guy was rolling out of bed (onto the pillows I placed below) nearly every night. Finally, I set him up in a twin-size bed and went to Babies R Us and purchased guardrails. Now, he’s basically back in a crib.

So my best parenting tip is to keep your kids in their cribs (if, like me, you believe in jailing children at bedtime) as long as possible. Don’t let yourself be tempted by the Pottery Barn catalog or a Craigslist posting or a hand-me-down from a friend. And if your child smears poop on his crib, wash it off and put him back in jail. Believe me, your life will be easier.

While I’m on the topic of tips, I’ll remind you that SFGate is inviting readers to offer up parenting tips in the Your Tips section. We’re awarding prizes to those who offer the best tips. The deadline is Saturday, August 2 at noon. For more details, click here.